Everythingcounts

But nothing counts like Countess II automated cell counters
Everything counts Fast | Accurate | Affordable
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Precise, accurate counts in as little as 10 seconds
We offer two high performance automated cell counters designed to meet the needs of any lab. The Invitrogen™ Countess™ II and Countess™ II FL Automated Cell Counters contain advanced autofocusing and counting algorithms to allow you to quickly and accurately identify and count cells within a population while avoiding user variation associated with manual focusing mechanisms.
“It outperformed all other competitors' models that we tried.”
—
Michael DaCosta, The Jackson Laboratory
Both automated cell counters offer the following features:
• Accurate—autofocus minimizes user-to-user variability
• Fast—results in as little as 10 seconds
• Convenient—save up to 10 user profiles
Countess II automated cell counters
Advanced technology at an affordable price
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Autofocus minimizes variability
The autofocus feature of Countess II instruments works by analyzing more than 30 focal planes then selecting the plane with the best focal quality. This
helps ensure that any variance from sample to sample, user to user, and slide to slide is addressed. Results are based on the optimal focal plane to enable highly accurate cell and viability counts. The results screen shown in Figure 1 allows for quick visual confirmation of cells being identified as live or dead.
Figure 1. PBMCs counted using the Countess II Automated Cell Counter. Counting and viability measurement can be done using standard trypan blue staining. The results screen displays total concentration and percentage of live and dead cells.
Figure 3. Histogram is updated to reflect gating changes.
Multiple gating options can be selected separately for live cells and dead cells allowing easy inclusion or exclusion of debris or specific populations.
Figure 2. Reusable slide for the Countess II FL Automated Cell Counter helps reduce consumable costs.
Figure 4. Profile names are user defined for easy identification.
Easily gate cells and view histograms
Cells can be easily gated based on cell size, brightness, and circularity to fine-tune precisely what is included or excluded for specific applications. View the histogram by selecting the graph icon and watch the changes in real time as you use the gating features. The average cell size is also displayed on the histogram.
Save profiles for customized settings
Custom profiles can be saved and easily accessed from the capture and results screens. Settings for cell size, brightness, and circularity, as well as fluorescent thresholds can be customized and saved for easy retrieval.
Reusable counting slide
The mounting costs of disposable slides and tips cause many labs to still rely on manual cell counting. The Countess II FL instrument was designed to work with a reusable glass slide, to help significantly reduce the long-term consumable costs and waste associated with automated cell counting. For researchers who want the convenience of disposable slides, the Countess II FL instrument can also use the same PMMA plastic slides developed for the original Countess cell counter.Note: Reusable slide option is only available with the
Countess II FL model.
Features of the Countess II instruments
Countess II FL Automated Cell Counter
Light cube Excitation (nm)Emission (nm)Common compatible dyes/fluorescent proteins DAPI 357/44447/60DAPI, Hoechst, BFP TagBFP 390/18447/60TagBFP
CFP 445/45510/42ECFP , Lucifer Yellow
GFP 470/22510/42GFP , Alexa Fluor™ 488, SYBR™ Green, FITC YFP 500/24524/27EYFP , acridine orange
RFP 531/40593/40RFP , Alexa Fluor™ 546, Alexa Fluor™ 555, Cy ®
3, DsRed, Rhodamine Red, dTomato
Texas Red™ 585/29624/40Texas Red, Alexa Fluor™ 568, Alexa Fluor™ 594, MitoTracker™ Red, mCherry
Cy ®
5
628/40692/40Cy ®
5, Alexa Fluor™ 647, Alexa Fluor™ 660, DRAQ5™
Cy ®5.5
655/46
794/16
Cy ®
5.5
For a complete list of available common and specialty light cubes, go to /evoslightcubes
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Fluorescence detection—not limited to GFP and RFP
The Countess II FL Automated Cell Counter offers bright-field and two optional, user-interchangeable fluorescent channels. The fluorescent colors collected are determined by the insertion of individual light cubes. The wide variety of light cubes available provides flexibility for multiple research applications.
Interchangeable LED light cubes
At the heart of the Countess fluorescence technology lies the unique Invitrogen™ EVOS™ light cubes. Each cube contains an LED, illuminating optics, and filters. Light cubes are user interchangeable, auto-detected by the Countess system for plug-and-play capability.Table 1 lists some of the most commonly used light cubes. There are more than 20 to choose from.
Table 1. Common fluorescent light cubes available for the Countess II FL Automated Cell Counter.
Applications
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Viability
Assessing cell viability is a key step in daily cell manipulation and is required for accurate and
efficient downstream processing. With the Countess II FL instrument there are many fluorescent options in addition to trypan blue staining to quickly and easily check viability prior to downstream sample analysis. Figure 5 shows results obtained using the Invitrogen™ Molecular Probes™ LIVE/DEAD™ Viability/Cytotoxicity Kit.
Apoptosis
In addition to cell viability, knowing how many cells are dead or dying are key pieces of information that can be determined quickly with the Countess II FL instrument. Cells of interest can be stained with a viability dye, such as Invitrogen™ Molecular Probes™ SYTOX™ Red Dead Cell Stain, as well as an apoptosis indicator that measures caspase activation, such as Invitrogen™ Molecular Probes™ CellEvent™
Caspase-3/7 Green Detection Reagent. This staining combination, used together with GFP and Cy ®5 light cubes, offers a fast and simple method to obtain apoptosis data.
Transfection
The ability to assess how many cells have been successfully transfected or transduced in a cell
population is a basic and critical evaluation parameter. Commonly, the cells of interest are transfected or
transduced with a construct resulting in the expression of a fluorescent protein reporter, such as GFP . The Countess II FL instrument loaded with your choice of light cubes offers a quick and simple method to easily obtain transfection efficiency data.
Figure 5. Viability assay using the LIVE/DEAD Viability/Cytotoxicity Kit. Live and heat-killed U2OS cells were mixed in an approximate 1:1 ratio, and then stained with calcein AM and EthD-1 supplied with the kit. The resultant suspension was then evaluated using the GFP and Texas Red light cubes
with the Countess II FL Automated Cell Counter.
Figure 7. Viability assay using the Invitrogen™ Molecular Probes™ ReadyProbes Cell Viability Imaging Kit, Blue/Green. Live and heat-killed U2OS cells were mixed in an approximate 1:1 ratio, and then stained with NucBlue™ Live reagent and NucGreen™ Dead reagent supplied with the kit. The resultant sample was then evaluated using the Countess II FL Automated Cell Counter with DAPI and GFP light cubes installed.
Figure 6. Apoptotic and dead cells counted on a Countess II FL
Automated Cell Counter. After incubation with 0.5 μm staurosporine, HeLa cells were labeled with 1:400 CellEvent Caspase-3/7 Green Detection Reagent to identify apoptotic cells, and then stained with 1:1,000 SYTOX Red Dead Cell Stain to denote all dead cells and incubated at room temperature for 30 minutes. The sample was evaluated using the Countess II FL Automated Cell Counter with EVOS light cubes for GFP and Cy
5 installed.
A431Human Skin
15.5 μm Adipocytes
Human Adipose-derived stem cells 13 μm Aortic smooth muscle Human Smooth muscle 20 μm Blood, whole lysed Human
Blood NA CHO-M1WT2Chinese hamster Ovary NA CHSE Chinook salmon Embryo 16–17 μm
COLO-205Human Colon NA COS 7African monkey Kidney NA HEK-293Human Kidney 13 μm HeLa Human Cervix NA HepG2Human Liver 18 μm HL 60Human Blood NA J774A.1Mouse Blood 13–14 μm Jurkat Human Blood 12 μm K562Human Bone marrow NA MCF7Human Breast 20–24 μm MRC-5Human Lung 18 μm NIH/3T3Mouse Embryo 18 μm PBMC Human Blood 7–8 μm PC-12
Rat Adrenal gland 12–14 μm Pulmonary artery endothelial cells Human Blood vessel 13 μm Pulmonary artery smooth muscle Human Smooth muscle 20 μm SF-21Insect Ovary NA U266Human Blood 12–13 μm
U2OS
Human Bone NA Umbilical vein endothelial cells
Human
Blood vessel
17 μm
Table 2. Cell lines validated on the Countess™ II FL Automated Cell Counter 6
ReadyProbes Cell Viability Imaging Kit, Blue/Green DAPI and GFP
R37609ReadyProbes™ Cell Viability Imaging Kit, Blue/Red DAPI and RFP or Texas Red R37610LIVE/DEAD Viability/Cytotoxicity Kit GFP and RFP or Texas Red L3224Propidium Iodide ReadyProbes™ Reagent RFP R37108SYTOX™ Green Nucleic Acid Stain
GFP
S7020SYTOX™ Red Dead Cell Stain Cy ®
5
S348597-Aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD)Texas Red or Cy ®
5A1310 CellEvent Caspase-3/7 Green Detection Reagent GFP C10423SYTOX Red Dead Cell Stain
Cy ®
5
S34859
Table 2. Commonly used dyes and light cubes used with the Countess II FL cell counter for viability and apoptosis determination.
Table 3. Cell lines validated on the Countess II automated cell counters.
Countess II Automated Cell Counter (AMQAX1000)
Optics:Bright-field only
Slides: Countess Cell Counting Chamber Slides (disposable)
Processing time: As little as 10 seconds
Required sample volume:10 μL
Sample concentration range: 1 x 104–1 x 107 cells/mL
Particle/cell diameter range:Particles: ~4 – 60 μm/Cells: ~7 – 60 μm
Objective: 2.5x
Total magnification: ~55x
Illumination: LED (50,000 hours)
Camera: 5 megapixels
Instrument dimensions (W x D x H): 9 x 5½ x 9 in; 228.6 x 139.7 x 228.6 mm
Weight: 8 lb
Operating power: 100–240 VAC, 0.58 A max.
Frequency: 50/60 Hz
Electrical input: 12 V DC, 2 A
Countess II FL Automated Cell Counter (AMQAF1000)
Optics: 3 channels (bright-field and 2 slots for EVOS LED light cubes)
Slides: Countess II FL Reusable Slide or Countess Cell Counting Chamber Slide (disposable) Processing time: As little as 10 seconds
Required sample volume:10 μL
Sample concentration range: 1 x 104–1 x 107 cells/mL
Particle/cell diameter range:Particles: ~4 – 60 μm/Cells: ~7 – 60 μm
Objective: 2.5x
Total magnification: ~55x
Illumination: LED (50,000 hours)
Camera: 5 megapixels
Instrument dimensions (W x D x H):9 x 5½ x 9 in; 228.6 x 139.7 x 228.6 mm
Weight: 8 lb
Operating power: 100–240 VAC, 0.58 A max.
Frequency: 50/60 Hz
Electrical input: 12 V DC, 2 A
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Find out more at /countess
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. © 2015 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of Thermo Fisher Scientific and its subsidiaries unless otherwise specified. DRAQ5 is a trademark of Biostatus Limited. Cy is a trademark of GE Healthcare. CO37311 0715
See what users have to say:
“Fast count and nice instruments, easy to use."—Dr. Xin Xu, Baylor College of Medicine
“The Countess II makes it very easy to count cells accurately and quickly—the fact that it tells you the dead cell and live cell count is icing on the cake.”—Faryal Mir, MIT
“We compared it to a hemocytometer and the Countess II always obtained very close results. The fluorescent measurements are a great tool for us to quantify the % transfection and transduction efficiency in our experiments. The light cubes used to detect fluorescence are very easy to switch out when more than two fluorescence sources are needing to be detected. The automatic focusing is very effective and accurate with the option to manually focus.”—David Waynar, Santa Cruz Biotechnology “Great for a quick check of transfection/transduction efficiency.”
—Alex Peister, Morehouse College
“Great device. Broad range of cell densities that it can handle. Good at distinguishing clumps and counting cells within clumps.”
—Joanna Rzepka, Veterinary Medical Research & Development “Low maintenance, fast easy accurate cell counts. Easy for students to use and comprehend.”—Robert Dean, D'Youville College
“A very accurate cell counter and you can use it to count
fluorescent cells as well. Excellent product. I'm very happy with it. I highly recommend it.”
—Massimo Ammirante, University of California, San Diego “It's very easy to use and it also allows me to quickly update my lab notebook so that each experiment uses the same number of cells. Quick and efficient.”
—Lakeisha Tillery, Meharry Medical College
“It's very consistent!”
—Kim Sylvia, Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute
Ordering information Countess™ II FL Automated Cell Counter 1AMQAF1000Countess™ II Automated Cell Counter 1AMQAX1000Countess™ Cell Counting Chamber Slides 50C10228Countess™ II FL Reusable Slide 1A25750Countess™ II FL Reusable Slide Holder 1AMEP4746EVOS™ Light Cube, DAPI 1AMEP4650EVOS™ Light Cube, TagBFP 1AMEP4668EVOS™ Light Cube, YFP 1AMEP4654EVOS™ Light Cube, GFP 1AMEP4651EVOS™ Light Cube, RFP 1AMEP4652EVOS™ Light Cube, Texas Red 1AMEP4655EVOS™ Light Cube, Cy ®
5
1AMEP4656EVOS™ Light Cube, Cy ®
5.5
1
AMEP4673。